Centrifugal machine



March 24, 1925.

. W. C. COLEMAN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE Filed gug 6, 1923 o /Z I I IN VENTOR ATTORNEY MX/h/W 6. 60/6/774/7 Patented Mar. 24, 1925.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. COLEMAN, OF WICHITA, KANSAS.

CENTRIFUG-AL MACHINE.

' Application filed August 6, 1923. Serial Nq, 656,102.

. to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled'in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to centrifugal separators, and the primary object is to provide a' simple, efficient form of separator, whereby a body of mercury may be contained within the machine and co-related therewith so that the mercury can take out the metal, the demetalized sludge or pulp being passed on through the machine and the mercury subsequently treated to recover the meta contained therein. 7 a The novel construction of the invention will be apparent by reference to the follow- I ing description in connection with. the accompanying drawings 1n wh1ch:

Fig. .1 is a vertical longitudinal, sectional view through a separator constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig.

2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. i

In Fig. 1, I have shown the machine as a two unit machine, both units being, to all intents and purposes, duplicates. Therefore, I will refer'to' the units generically and specifically describe one of them.

The units 1 and 2 are fastened together by bolts 3. The unit 1 diflfers from the unit 2 in that it is provided with a cover plate and a hollow shaft for supporting it. The hollow shaft Will either be stationary or driven; if driven, suitable mechanism will be provided for that purpose. The unit may be specifically described as a cylindrical casing having a bottom 4 with a depending threaded collar 5', surrounding a discharge opening 6 The-top edge of the cylindrical wall of the casing 1 is provided with an outstanding flange 7 At the juncture of the flange with the wall of the cylindrical casing is a shoulder -8 to receive a packing ring 9, upon which may rest the cover plate 10. The cover plate also rests on the flange Z, and it is'fixed thereto by the bolts 11.-

At the center of the cover plate is a depending collar l2,extending into the unit, and it surrounds a central inlet opening 13, by means of which ore may be fed into the machine, ipreferably through the hollow shaft 14, which is fastened to the threaded collar 15,- extending upwardly from the plate, 10. The hollow shaft 14 may be a.

driving shaft for the unit 1, and, of course, if the unit l'is driven, thecasing for the unit 2 will be'driven, because the unit 2 is fastened to the unit 1 by the bolts 3. The depending collar 12 carries a distributor, consisting of. a hollow hub 16, which is threaded to the collar 12. The hollow hub extends downwardly within the casing and the unit 1, and it is provided with circumferential, lateral flanges 17 and 18 which extend to points adjacent the separating space 19 in juxtaposition to the body of mercury 20, in thecup shaped separator 21. The cup shaped separator 21 is keyed to a central shaft 22, which extends through both units and which extends-through the unit 1, if one unit is used, and through both units if two units are used, Obviously, the units may be multiplied to whatever extent is desired. The mercury containing separator cup 21 /isshown as secured to the shaft 22 by a key 23, but an other suitable means may be employed i desired. The bottom of the separator cup is separated from the bottom flange 18 so that material entering through the shaft 14 can pass to the bottom, and since the shaft 22 is a rotating shaft, the centrifugal force within the cup shaped separator 21 will draw the sludge toward cause it to fi'ow over the mercury 20, and inasmuch as mercury has an aflinity for metal,

the metal will be absorbed by the mercury, and the sludge, demetalized, will pass through the opening formed by the inturned flange 24, then downwardly through the space 25 and finally out through the discharge 6, where, if two units are employed, it will be subjected to the same action in the second unit, since the second unit conforms to the first, and, obviously, if a third unit is employed, the operation will be repeated. 1

The first unit constitutes a cover plate for the second unit. It will he noted ,here that the only difference between the second unit and the first is that the bottom 4 takes the place of the cover plate 10 for the second unit. Therefore, the machine can be con much metal as it is capable of absorbing.

WVhen it is desired to draw off the mercury,

this can be accomplished bytaking out the plug 26 in the first unit and the plug27 in the second unit. The mercury can then be treated to recover the metal. When the metal is recovered, the mercury can again be used in the machine. N

I With the construction herein illustrated, the separator need not necessarily be operated in a vertical position as shown. It can operate at various angles and horizontally.

While I have specifically described the various details of construction illustrated, I do not Wish to be limited to the exact embodiments shown. F

'What I claim and dire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

I. A centrifugal separator comprising an outer casing, an inner casing and a distributor supported by the outer casing, but located wholly within the inner casing, and

means for imparting relative movement to one of the casings with respect to the other. 2; A centrifugal separator comprising an outer casing, an inner casing and a distributor within the inner casing driven by the outer casing, and means for effecting rotative movement of one casing with respect to the other.-

3. Acentrifugal separator comprising an inner casing, an outer casing,- a distributor within the inner casing, having peripheral flanges, a mercurial column in the inner casing, bridging the space between the flanges, means for feeding material into the inner casing,'the inner casing having an outlet at its top, the out-er casing having an outlet at the bottom, and means for causing relative movement between the two casings.

4. A centrifugal separator comprising an inner rotor, an outer rotor, independent means for driving the rotors and a distributor supported by the outer casing and located wholly within the inner casing.

5. A centrifugal separator comprising an inner rotor, an outer rotor, a distributor Within the inner rotor, means for indepen- (iently driving the two rotors, and means for driving the distributor at the same speed as the outer rotor.

6. A centrifugal separator comprising an inner rotor, an outer rotor, a rotatable distributor within the inner rotor, means for feeding material into the inner rotor, the

inner rotor having an outlet at its top, and

the outer rotor having an outlet at its bottom.

\VILLIAM C. COLEMAN. 

